 My name is Patrick Youssef. I'm the regional director for Africa, the International Committee of the Red Cross. I'm today at the United States Institute for Peace to discuss, debate, brainstorm about potential solutions for the ongoing war, the ongoing suffering of people in Sudan, and to see with other stakeholders what can be done to change that unfortunate reality that millions of Sudanese and Africans in the Horn of Africa are experiencing. First and foremost, we need to consider this war as part of a larger set of events that were all very, very, very dangerous for the Sudanese. It's at the end of, again, cycles of war that touched Darfur, Kordofan, that had indeed split the country in two. This war that started only in April disrupted trade, disrupted commerce, disrupted people's daily life as it first and foremost hit the capital that had nine or ten million people living in it, densely populated. So all the shelling, all the bombardment, all the hostilities that happened, happened where people were living happily. That said, the economic situation before that was not good, was not right. Hence, this has disrupted so much the access to markets, to essential services. Anyone that requires today a medicine would need to ask for a neighbor or a friend outside of the country to get it. It's just a disaster. I think internal displacement on social services were unfortunately the biggest victims in this war. Hospitals are constantly being bombarded, especially in the capital Khartoum, but now more and more in Algeria. Access to potable water has not been sufficient, nor adequate in many parts, the result of which is cholera outbreaks and communicable diseases. So that's where I think putting an emphasis over the simple social services that any human being has the right to get access to is a priority in addition to protecting people, in addition to pushing the parties to protect civilians, not to attack those civilians, to protect hospitals, and a list indeed of obligations that are enshrined in Islamic law in the Sudanese culture, but also coded in the Geneva Convention. On Sudan, specifically, I think the priorities of the international community should be twofold. On one side, there won't be any humanitarian effort without a political caravan that pushes everyone in the direction, either for a solution or a ceasefire. And I think the second is indeed that humanitarian space is shrinking heavily. It's one of those contacts in Africa where very few organizations can operate. I'd like to highlight the work that we've been conducting on behalf of the parties as a neutral intermediary to save people from entrapments, to release detainees, and so on and so forth. So I think the international community must support a Sudan that has been the host of thousands of refugees from neighboring countries. Now I think it's the time for the Sudanese to feel supported, to feel protected. I don't think we have any moral high ground if we deceive a population that is constantly suffering.